The American Library Association, who is tasked with keeping tabs on our libraries across the country, also receives the statistics on which books are asked to be removed from library shelves across the nation. Parents, usually, are the ones submitting requests for bans on books.
To be clear, the American Library Association does not ban books. They simply keep track of the books across the nation that are most challenged - "to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools".
For reference, the most challenged series from the past decade (2000-2009) was the Harry Potter series.
Every year, they release the list and the reasons books are asked to be removed. Without further ado:
To be clear, the American Library Association does not ban books. They simply keep track of the books across the nation that are most challenged - "to inform the public about censorship efforts that affect libraries and schools".
For reference, the most challenged series from the past decade (2000-2009) was the Harry Potter series.
Every year, they release the list and the reasons books are asked to be removed. Without further ado:
 | Originally published in 2006, it has been on the banned list before. The book follows a boy to his school and his yearnings for adventure and discovery. The book explores growing up in real terms - smoking, drinking, sex and in general running amuck while also staying the studious students. It's about young adults living under pressure as they grow up. This book is suited for the older young adult - high schooler. Reasons for banning: Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. |
2. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E. L. James
Reasons for Banning: Sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, and other (“poorly written,” “concerns that a group of teenagers will want to try it”).
| This is a picture book aimed at younger kids. It's based on the true story of Jazz Jennings, a child who is transgender. It's starts with Jazz, the two year old and grows up with her a little bit. It's told in kid language - simple and clear. Reasons for Banning: Inaccurate, homosexuality, sex education, religious viewpoint, and unsuited for age group. |  |
 | A newly published book in 2015, this book is an interview style based book. The author/photographer interviews 6 gender neutral young adults and goes through their before acknowledgement, during and after acknowledgement of their gender identities. It's a very honest book and the School Library Journal recommends it for a more sophisticated kid audience - high schoolers on up. Reasons for Banning: Reasons: Anti-family, offensive language, homosexuality, sex education, political viewpoint, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“wants to remove from collection to ward off complaints”). |
| This book is a look into one person's mind, who happens to be autistic. It was published in 2004 and this is the first time it's been listed on the Banned Books list. It has enjoyed more recent success as it was turned into a Broadway play (to good reviews). The main character, Christopher, starts to investigate the death of the neighbor's dog - a local mystery. The main character is 15 years old and the story is written to be appealing to a general audience. This is one you could read with middle schoolers. Reasons for Banning: Reasons: Offensive language, religious viewpoint, unsuited for age group, and other (“profanity and atheism”). |  |
 | 7. Fun Home, by Alison Bechdel Reasons: Violence and other (“graphic images”). This book was published in 2007 and has yet to be on the Banned Book list. Again, this one was just made into a Broadway show, and so it is enjoying wider success. The story follows a family, whose father is a closeted gay man who is involved with the family babysitter and his male students from school. This is a graphic novel-memoir and so the illustrations are poignant. The author, Alison Bechdel, is also the author of the comic strip, "Dykes to Watch Out For" which is popular. Reasons for Banning: Reasons: Violence and other (“graphic images”). |
 A graphic novel that sets out to tell the tale of refugee child slaves. It's a love story as two young people try to make their way through the harsh world. It is necessarily graphic and while the pictures are well done, there are adult themes throughout - sexual slavery, abandonment, and violence. The drawings try to make these topics not as graphic as they generally are portrayed. Reasons for Banning: Reasons: Nudity, sexually explicit, and unsuited for age group. |  This is based on a true story of a little girl's parents disappearing. Her grandmother enrolls her in a school for girls to better Nasreen's life - only it's a secret school, because they are not allowed for girls in Afghanistan. This is another young kid's book best suited for the middle elementary years. Reasons for Banning: Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group, and violence |  Published in 2015, it was right away listed on the Banned Book list. Another book based on true events, the premise of this book is about 2 boys who set to take on the Guinness Book of World Record's record of kissing. They need to kiss for 32 hours to break it. A great book for upper middle school kids. Reason for Banning: Reasons: Homosexuality and other (“condones public displays of affection”). |
This Year's Themes
Aside from usually banned books, this year's seems to include coming of age stories in the era of homosexuality, refugee crises and marginalized individuals. It's not often that we see picture books on the Banned Book List (the last was Tango Makes Three) and it's worth noting that many of these books are true stories or memoirs of true events.
Enjoy (and keep reading, even if they are tricky subjects)!
